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Auditory Processing Disorder
What is Auditory Processing Disorder?
An Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) is a deficit in interpreting auditory information. Our ears detect sounds, but it is our brain that helps us figure out what those sounds mean. Typically, a person with an Auditory Processing Disorder has normal hearing, but the brain has difficulty interpreting speech and other sounds in a meaningful way.
What are the Symptoms of APD?
Difficulty attending to and/or discriminating
sounds- Difficulty remembering and/or recognizing sounds
- Difficulty comprehending auditory information - may require extra time to process information
- Difficulty hearing if there is too much background noise
- Difficulty following conversations
- Difficulty following spoken instructions with many steps (complex directions)
- Difficulty with speech and/or language development
- Difficulty spelling, reading, and/or writing
- May get easily distracted or has difficulty maintaining concentration
- Poor listening skills and/or may get tired after listening for long periods of time
- Academic performance does not correspond to learning potential
- Improved performance in one-on-one situations
Who is a Candidate for APD Testing?
Before booking a patient for APD testing, they must:
- Be 7 years of age or older
- Be fluent in English or French
- Be having difficulties in school or work environments
- Have intelligible speech
- Be able to understand simple instructions
- Be able to repeat words/sentences
- Have an intellectual potential that appears to be in the normal range
- Not present with a diagnosis that could explain the difficulties encountered (e.g., ASD, global developmental delay, various syndromes, language disorder)
- Not present with peripheral hearing impairment (e.g., diagnosed hearing loss, wearing a hearing aid, ear infections, etc.)
- Present with some typical characteristics of APD based on screening and/or case history
Who Can Refer for APD Testing?
- Health-care professionals (physicians, speech-language pathologists, psychologists, etc.)
- Educational professionals (teachers, resource teachers, etc.)
- Parents/caregivers (not available in all Audiology centres)
How Do I Refer Someone for APD Testing?
Send a regular referral to the Audiology Department requesting APD testing. An appointment will be given for a hearing evaluation and APD screening. If a full APD assessment is warranted, it will be arranged through the Audiology Department.
Click here for your local audiology department contact information.
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